Defending Tom Harris

I fear this will put me firmly in the minority, but I want to defend Tom here, not least because he's right.Â No matter how grumpy we all are about rising prices, the world isn't ending.Â

Things have been much worse in the past.Â Things are much worse in other parts of the world.Â Â In a very real sense, we really never have had it so good.

And economically, you could even argue that correctives like Mr Harris's have a real value: too much doom and gloom and we risk talking ourselves into a recession, a risk that some of the Government's leading lights are alive to.

I'm told that Stephen Carter, Gordon Brown's principal strategist has also been expressing exasperation about the prevailing mood of economic despair, which he regards as inconsistent with the facts.

Given the time of year, there will almost inevitably be speculation that Mr Harris will now suffer in any summer reshuffle.Â

If the PM has any sense, he'll actually promote the minister instead.Â Governments need people who are willing to tell voters the truth.